Coupling for dentist&#39;s drill hand piece detachable spray nozzle structures



June 19, 1951 M. GANZ 2,557,377

COUPLING FOR DENTISTS DRILL HAND-PIECE DETACHABLE SPRAY NOZZLESTRUCTURES Filed June 20, 1949 Patented June 19, 1951 COUPLING FORDENTISTS DRILL HAND PIECE DETACHABLE STRUCTURES v SPRAY NOZZLE MiltonGanz, New York, N. Y.

Application J line 20, 1949, Serial No. 100,192

The present invention relates to attachments for the hand-pieces ofdentists drills, to direct a spray, onto or in the region of the cuttingpoint of the rotating tool, and more particularly to coupling means forconnecting air and water supply lines to the spray nozzles; such nozzlesbeing changed whenever a contra-angle hand-piece is mounted on, orremoved from the straight handpiece.

The principal object of this invention is to provide novel and improvedmeans for coupling the mentioned supply lines with interchangeable spraynozzles which are detachably carried on the straight hand-piece of adentists drill.

Another object hereof is to provide a novel and improved coupling meansof the character mentioned, which will guide the spray nozzle structureinto proper position on the straight handpiece, to effect an alignmentof parts necessary to accomplish the required connections, andthereafter serve to detachably lock the nozzle structure onto the bodyof said hand-piece.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel and improvedcoupling means of the type described, which is reasonably cheap tomanufacture, easy to use and eificient in carrying out the purposes forwhich it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosureproceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of a straight handpiece of a dentistsdrill including a detachably mounted spray nozzle structure and thecoupling means therefor, in accordance to the teachings of thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the spray nozzle structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end viewof the coupling means, as viewed from the left inFig. 1. To attain clarity of illustration, a pawl member included insuch means, is omitted in this Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is a section taken at line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an end view of a yoke carried on the spray nozzle means, asviewed from the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal view of a contra-angle hand-piece carrying itsown spray nozzle structure, in accordance with this invention.

Fig. '7 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling means details.

In the drawings, the numeral i5 designates generally the straighthand-piece of a dentists drill whose chuck I6 holds a rotatable tool l1,

3 Claims. (CI. 32-28) or else such tool may be removed and thecontraangle hand-piece denoted generally by the nu.-

meral l8, may be mounted in known fashion onto the straight hand-piecel5, whereby chuck l6 enters socket l9, and engages shaft end 20 fortransmission of rotary motion to tool 2|.

When hand-piece I5 is to be used to directly hold the working tool IT, aspray nozzle structure indicated generally by the numeral 22, is mounteddetachably along said hand piece. When it is desired to use thehand-piece I8, mounted as mentioned onto the hand-piece l5, the spraynozzle structure 22 is first removed from the hand.- piece l5, so thatthe spray nozzle structure denoted generally by the numeral 23,.whichmay be demountably or permanently carried on the hand,- piece l8, may bemounted detachably along handpiece 15, while hand-piece I 8 is mountedonto the hand-piece l5.

Heretofore, every time a spray nozzle structure was changed on thehand-piece I5, it was necessary to disconnect the flexible air and watersupply pipes or tubing 24 and 25, respectively, from the nozzlestructure removed, and such supply lines had then to be connected ontothe nozzle structure newly mounted. 7

The present invention provides a permanent connection of the supplylines 24 and 25 on a coupling member denoted generally by the numeral26, which is in the form of a collar on the hand-piece l5, held in placeby the set screw 21.

Two nipples 28 and 29, extend from said collar 26, and are connectedrespectively to the air and water supply lines 24 and 25; The collar hastwo holes therein, indicated by the numerals 30 and 3|, opening at theface of said collar which is nearest the chuck-end of the hand-piece I5.Said holes, commencing at this face of the collar 26, extend parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the hand-piece 15, to serve as sockets for therespective ends of the tubes 32 and 33, of the spray nozzle structure22; such tube ends being designated by the numerals 32 and 33', andlikewise for the ends 34 and 35" of the tubes 34 and 35 of the spraynozzle structure 23. Said nipples 28 and 29, respectively, continue theother ends of said holes 30 and 3|.

Between the socket openings of the holes 30 and 3|, the collar 26carries a toothed pawl 36, swingably mounted on said collar on an. axispin 31 which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the hand-pieceI5; the tooth 36' of said pawl being in front of the said socketopenings, intermediate and clear of them, and urged against the body ofthe hand-piece [5, by the spring whose discharge ends are at the toolII, when the structure 22 is mounted on the hand-piece I5 so that theclips encircle and engage the hand-piece body. The tube ends 34' and 35extend from said sheath tube 40, and are respectively bent to be spacedparallel and suited to enter the socket openings of the holes 30 and 3|,respectively, up to the resilient tubular spacers 43 and 44, carried onsuch spaced ends 34' and 35', which are next to the yoke 39 bridgingsaid end portions.

Such spacer members 43 and 44 act as gaskets to insure leak-proofjoints.

The yoke 39, rests against the body of the hand-piece I5, and is thereshaped to conform to such body, as at 39. Between the tubes 34 and 35,the said yoke 39, in its edge which is remote from the hand-piece, isprovided with a notch 45. This notch is of a width to slidably admit thepawl 36, whereupon the tube ends 32 and 33 are respectively inalignment-with the sockets 30 and 3I respectively.

The yoke I39 and the gasket members next to it on the spray nozzlestructure 23, are identical to like parts on the spray nozzle structure22.

The parts are so dimensioned, that when a spray nozzle structure ismounted on the handpiece I5, so that the intake ends of the nozzle tubesare in the respective sockets 30 and .3I, the yoke 39 (or I39) shall beheld by the tooth 36 of the pawl 36, locked against movement along thehand-piece I5, and the gasket members 43 and 44 shall be slightlycompressed.

When it is desired to mount the implement shown in Fig. 6, onto thestraight hand-piece I5,

the spray nozzle structure 22, is of course first removed therefrom. Itis evident that this is done by fingering piece 36 to swing the pawl 36so that yoke 39 is free of the tooth 36, and then manually sliding saidstructure 22 to withdraw from the sockets 3I and 30, and continue suchmovement until said structure 22 is slid off said hand-piece I5.

Now the implement illustrated in Fig. 6 is slid on the hand-piece I5, sothat chuck I6 enters the socket I9, and so that shaft 20 shall enter thechuck I6, and too, so that the toothed end of the pawl 36 shall enterthe notch I45 in yoke I39. The edge I45 of said notch I45 will contactthe slopping surface 36 of the pawls tooth 35', and act as a cam toshift the pawl 36. Said tooth will engage the yoke I39, locking the'nozzle structure 23 onto the hand-piece I5, when the intake ends 34 and35 are respectively in the sockets 3| and 30, a predetermined distance.When pawl 36 is within the notch I45, said intake ends 34 and 35 arerespectively aligned for entrance into the said sockets of the couplingmember 26.

The manner of removal of the implement of Fig. 6 from off the hand-pieceI5, and replacement of nozzlestructure 22 on said hand-piece as shown inFig. 1, needs no further-explanation, in view of the above disclosure.

Although the coupling member is here shown attachable and detachable, soas to be adapted for existing hand-pieces, it may be an integral or afixedly secured part with such hand-piece. Also, the media fed to thenozzle structure may be other than air and water as mentioned, and ofcourse nozzle structures and suitable coupling means therefore inaccordance herewith, may be provided when there is only one intake tube,or any number.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applicationswithout departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It istherefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein shall bedeemed illusztrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall coverall patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had to thefollowing claims .rather than to the specific description herein toindicate the scope of this invention.

I claim: 1. In combination with a hand-piece which in- ,cludes the chuckof a dentists drill, a coupling .member carried on the body of said handpiece .spaced from the chuck; said member being provided with aplurality of parallel sockets opening in a face thereof, nipplesrespectively communicative with the interior of the respective socketsand extending from said member, a nozzle structure adapted to bepositioned to discharge in the region of the chuck; said nozzlestructure having one intake tube for each socket; said nozzle structurebeing adapted to be detachably mounted on the hand-piece whereby theintake end of each of said tubes is slidingly fitted into one of saidsockets respectively and means carried-on the coupling memberco-operating with said nozzle structure to guide the intake ends of.said tubes into said sockets respectively when the spray nozzlestructure is slid onto the hand .piece and to detachably lock saidnozzle structure on the coupling member.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for guidingand locking the nozzle structure includes a movably mounted -memberadapted to be shifted by the nozzle structure during .rnovement of thelatter onto the hand-piece and to detachably engage the nozzle structureonto the hand-piece only when the ends .of the tubes are respectivelywithin the sockets .a predetermined distance.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1, including gasket means carriedon each of the tubes of the nozzle structure spaced from the intake endsof said tubes and held against move- .ment towards the discharge ends ofsaid tubes respectively and adapted to contact the coupling member andbe compressed thereby when the intake ends of said tubes are positionedwithin the :sockets andxthe nozfle structureis locked on the couplingmember.

MILTON GANZ.

REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Austria Mar. 25, 1933Number

